MEET YCM - Donna Keough
If you’re unsure how to get noticed by government panels or build career confidence, you’re not alone—YCM was founded to solve precisely this.
Founded by Donna Keough, YCM helps professionals and small businesses across Australia build careers and capability with confidence — through tailored programs, interview coaching, and strategic communication tools that get results.
SMEs and professionals nationwide trust us. 70+ five-star reviews. Real wins, every month.
YCM combines insider experience with hands-on support — from Kickstart™ career programs and interview coaching, to resumes, selection criteria, and capability frameworks that speak the language of decision-makers.
With over 25 years in procurement, recruitment and contract management, Donna understands both sides of the process — helping clients position themselves clearly, credibly and confidently.
At YCM, every service is designed with intent: to make your value visible and your next move achievable.
Careers. Capability. Compliance.
More Than Documents — A Framework for Growth
YCM was born from a simple truth:
talented people and capable businesses often miss out on opportunities because they struggle to communicate their value.
YCM brings structure and strategy to every step of your professional journey through three connected streams:
Careers - Clarity & Confidence
Resumes, selection criteria, and Kickstart™ programs that give professionals the words, tools, and confidence to secure roles in the APS, council, health, and education sectors.
Capability - Credibility & Connection
Capability statements, team CV libraries, and frameworks that help businesses and consultants demonstrate value and professionalism to public-sector clients.
Compliance – Consistency & Control
Policies, registers, and tender documentation that keep organisations contract-ready and aligned with government standards.
About Donna
Public Sector Expertise
With a career built across Australian Government procurement, contract management, and recruitment, Donna has spent more than two decades helping teams and organisations deliver transparent, compliant, and value-for-money outcomes across programs spanning digital transformation, governance reform, and service delivery.
Donna has worked with Commonwealth agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Services Australia, Airservices Australia, the Australian National University, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Department of Defence, as well as delivery partners and consultancies supporting both multi-million-dollar Defence programs and smaller public-sector consultancy projects.
Her recruitment experience began in the private sector, where she worked with employers and jobseekers across a range of industries. Over time, she has recruited and led teams within government and managed contractor engagement and labour-hire procurement activities — giving her a practical understanding of how hiring and contracting decisions are made from both sides of the process.
After recognising a clear gap in how talented professionals and capable businesses were presenting their value, Donna launched YCM in March 2025 to bridge it.
Since then, she has helped hundreds of clients across Australia — from graduates and APS professionals to executives, small business owners, and consultancies — build confidence, clarity, and results through tailored resumes and selection criteria, career programs, interview coaching, and capability documentation.
Recruitment & People Insight
Founding YCM
Supporting Businesses and SME's
Donna has also supported SMEs and consultancies seeking to work with government, helping them navigate procurement frameworks, prepare tender responses, and secure panel appointments. Her experience includes guiding a professional services firm and a marine manufacturing business through successful public-sector panel applications — providing practical, end-to-end support grounded in government standards.
This unique blend of recruitment insight, government procurement expertise, and supplier-side experience gives Donna a rare dual perspective — knowing exactly what decision-makers look for and how to communicate capability in a way that resonates.
She is currently completing a Diploma of Counselling to further enhance YCM’s human-centred approach to career development and is WWVP registered and a student member of Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA), reflecting her commitment to safe, ethical, and inclusive client practice.
Qualifications & Memberships
Diploma of Government (Procurement & Contracting)
Diploma of Project Management
Diploma of Business
Certificate IV in Training & Assessment
Diploma of Counselling (in progress – expected early 2026)
Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) – Current
Member – Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA)
A Human-Centred Approach
It’s this unique mix of clarity, compassion, and capability that underpins YCM’s mission — helping professionals and small businesses communicate their value with confidence and credibility.
HOW YCM WORKS
A Simple Process — Tailored to You.
Clarity starts with conversation.
Behind every standout résumé, selection criteria response, tender submission, capability statement, or framework is a story that makes sense — one that speaks the language of decision-makers and captures the strengths behind the experience. That’s why every YCM collaboration begins with conversation and insight.
By understanding your path and your purpose, we build documents that communicate value clearly, credibly, and with genuine confidence.
1️⃣ Discover
We start with a focused conversation to understand your experience, goals, and challenges — so every step feels relevant, purposeful, and aligned with what matters most.
2️⃣ Design
Together we map the right approach — from strategic documents and coaching plans to frameworks that strengthen capability and compliance.
No templates. No jargon. Just a straightforward plan that meets you where you're at.
3️⃣ Develop
This is where we build. YCM turns insight into practical outcomes — creating structured tools, programs, and documentation that bring your goals to life.
Whether that’s a resume, a capability framework, or a policy suite, everything is developed with precision, purpose, and real-world usability.
4️⃣ Deliver
You’ll review, refine, and finish with confidence — equipped with tools and strategies that keep working long after your YCM project ends.
You’ll walk away confident and equipped — with tools and frameworks that perform when it matters most.
